Heroína (ship)

Frigate Heroina in Puerto Soledad - 6 November 1820. Painting by Emilio Biggeri. Source: Museo Naval de la Nación, Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
History
Argentina
Name:	Heroína
Owner:	Patricio (Patrick) Lynch
Acquired:	1819
Captured:	20 March 1822
Fate:	Scrapped in Lisbon following capture
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	475 tons
Length:	43 m (141 ft)
Beam:	7 m (23 ft)
Draught:	3.15 m (10.3 ft)
Propulsion:	sail
Complement:	190-200 (42 Marines)
Armament:	30 × 18-pounder
Notes:	Originally the French merchant frigate Braque, purchased in Buenos Aires in 1819 following the delivery of a cargo of timber.

The Heroína (Spanish for "heroine") was a privately owned frigate that was operated as a privateer under a license issued by the United Provinces of the River Plate (later Argentina). It was under the command of American-born Colonel David Jewett and has become linked with the Argentine claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas).

The Buenos Aires businessman Patrick Lynch acquired the French frigate Braque at some point in 1819/1820. The exact date is unknown with dates for the transaction ranging from August 1819 until January 1820. Initially it was planned to name the ship Tomás Guido but that name was considered inappropriate as Guido, Chief Secretary of the Army, was still alive at the time. He finally settled for Heroína.

After fitting out the ship to act as a privateer, Lynch obtained a corsair license from the Buenos Aires Supreme Director José Rondeau. Colonel David Jewett, an American privateer was given command of Heroína in 1820.

In July 1820, between Cape Verde and Spain, Jewett captured the Portuguese frigate Carlota that was en route to Lisbon. In doing so, Jewett crossed the line between privateer and pirate, since his corsairs license restricted his activities to Spanish ships (the United Provinces of the River Plate were not at war with Portugal). Jewett continued to capture ships of other flags causing further controversy.